The Battle to Go to the Cross

March 20, 2022 | Jess Rainer

Passage: Matthew 26:36-46

When we think about Easter, our first thoughts typically go to the cross and tomb.  And rightfully so! But we have to look at Gethsemane because it was the battle before the battle.  What happened Gethsemane is integral to the Easter story.  It was a battle for the cross and a battle for you.  Jesus won the battle to go to the cross for you. 

  1. Jesus won in the garden. (vs. 36-39, 42, 44) We see a picture of Jesus in the garden that I don’t know if we see anywhere else in the Bible.  Jesus is distressed. He is under a lot of anguish.  This isn’t the Jesus we normally think of during the Easter season.  We usually see Jesus with resolve as He goes to the cross.  He goes to Jerusalem even when His disciples told Him not.  He stands in the face of accusations during His trials.  He doesn’t back down from the beatings.  But here, Jesus is feeling the crushed with grief.

 So what is bringing Jesus so much grief?  Jesus is waging in a massive spiritual battle.  What’s at stake?  The cross.  The horrors of what is to come – the abandonment of the Father and taking on all of the sin of the world – are to come.  During this prayer time, Jesus saw what was going to happen.  Why did the Father reveal to the Son what was going to happen?  What if it was too much for Jesus to see?  So often, during Easter, we focus on the physical aspect of what happened to Jesus.  But here, we see the spiritual effects of what Jesus went through.  Don’t miss this. Before Good Friday, before Silent Saturday, before Resurrection Sunday, there was the battle for Jesus to do what He set out to accomplish on the cross.  The garden was a battle for our souls.  Jesus saw what was going to happen and He went anyway – voluntarily – for you!

In this battle, Jesus prays to the Father.  Jesus is praying that if there is another way for salvation to be accomplished, please let it be.  Jesus went back to His friends and then entered a second prayer time.  This time, the prayer shifts.  Did you notice the difference?  The first prayer, Jesus asked for the cup to be taken away.  The second prayer, Jesus asked for the resolve to drink the cup.  What happened between the two prayers?

We know two things happened.  1) Luke 22:43 – “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.”  If Jesus was going to drink the cup, God was going to give Him the strength to do it.  2) Hebrews 5:7 – “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.”  While Jesus would die, God was save Jesus from death.

Jesus prayed one more time.  Jesus won the battle for the cross in the garden.  Jesus won the battle for the cross in the garden FOR YOU.

2. The disciples lost in the garden. (vs. 37-38, 40-41, 43) Let’s go back to when Jesus entered Gethsemane.  Jesus takes 3 disciples with Him.  He didn’t take all 11 disciples and we don’t know exactly why.  Most likely 8 were left farther off in the distance with these 3 disciples closer to Him.  One possibility is that these three would have major roles in the early church.  Jesus then tells them what He needs. He wants them to be with Him.  He’s grieving and He wants His friends with Him.  Jesus also asks these 3 disciples to do one thing:   Stay awake.  Stay awake and pray.  Stay awake and be with Me.  Stay awake and be vigilant.

There was an immense battle that was taking place and these three disciples were called to step up and join the battle.  When Jesus came back from praying, what did He find?  The disciples were asleep! It’s interesting to see that Peter is the one that Jesus called out here.  James and John were sleeping, but their names weren’t mentioned here.  We didn’t read what happened before Jesus went to Gethsemane.  Jesus had told all the disciples that they would deny Him that night.  Peter jumped in and said “No way! I will remain with you no matter what! I will die with you!”  We don’t know for sure, but it appears Jesus is giving Peter his final training before he leads the early church.  Why did Jesus want Peter, James, and John to say awake?  The disciples were getting a crash course on just how spiritually weak we are.  Jesus knew the battle they were facing between their spirit and body.  He wanted them to win against Satan’s scheme.  He wanted them to triumph over Satan’s temptations.  The work of the cross – the salvation for their very souls – was hanging in the balance – AND THEY SLEPT!  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  The disciples lost the battle in the garden.

The battle in the garden still exists today.  Jesus showed the disciples – and us – how tough the battle was and is and will be.  This battle in the garden was one of Satan’s last-ditch efforts to keep Jesus from the cross.  Satan knew that victory on the cross was his final defeat.  Even though Satan’s fate is sealed, he’s still waging a war.  The garden was to make us aware of the battle Jesus faced for us and to call us into the battle that is still ongoing.

3. Join the battle that Jesus won. (vs. 45-46) .  Throughout the story of Easter there is an evident theme that God is in complete control.  Jesus says, “The time has come.” The time that God planned.  Jesus is getting ready to be arrested, tried, and killed.  As tragic as the events are, God’s plan will not be undermined by Satan.  Knowing God’s control, it changes the way we look at these verses.  Jesus doesn’t say goodbye.  Jesus doesn’t say, “The end is near.”  Jesus doesn’t say, “It’s over now.”

Jesus says, “Get up! Let’s go! There’s a battle and we are going to win this together!”  Jesus went to the cross with resolve.  With fervency because the souls of the world – my soul and your soul – were hanging the balance.  Jesus would soon win the battle once and for all against Satan.

Here’s what this means for you today:  There are still souls hanging in the balance.  The souls in Spring Hill, in Tennessee, in the US, and in the world.  There are souls who do not know the hope of Jesus.  And they need to know about the Savior would didn’t lay down in the garden.  They need to know about the Savior who said, “Up, let’s be going.”  The Savior who won the battle to go to the cross.  Join the battle. 

 If you don’t know where your soul stands with God, come see me.

Previous Page

Series Information

This is a 6 week series on the Story of Easter.  Throughout his earthly life, Jesus told his disciples and others what he was doing. But divine hints of what was to come were not limited only to Christ’s years on earth. God had always been telling his people what Jesus was going to do, and even now, Jesus tells us what he is going to do in our lives. He tells us the what (continue to save sinners) and the how (using us and our work in the midst of this world).

Other sermons in the series

March 13, 2022

The Last Supper

Matthew 26:26-29 ESV 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread...

March 27, 2022

Purpose and Power

Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you...